Anyone have any thoughts on the Steyr Aug .223?

[rjohns94]

Would be interested to hear your thoughts. Bull pup design shortens OAL. Reliable? Accurate? Any advantages? Disadvantages?

[guido4198]

I don't like BullPup designs.

[Marvin S]

If they had one in left hand I would probably own one. Light weight very compact high capacity.

[rjohns94]

They do have a left hand option.

[Grizz]

watched this last night:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYzwUsnryTo

the aug had the fastest times and looked like the handiest outfit too. Miculek likes it.

[carbluesnake]

One great rifle! I had one about 30 years ago. You can disemble the weapon in 10 seconds, run over magazines with a vehicle and they still work flawlessly. They were clear so you could see how rounds you had in a mag at a glance. They would function ammo that an AR would choke on, well balanced, and you could shoulder the weapon while driving and shoot straight through the windshield if you had a mind to. You couldn't do that with an AR because of the overall length. I loved the gun. I sold it when someone offered me three times what I paid for it. They had to own it at that point. The only complaint was the 1.5X indestructible optic. I would like to have had a higher power optic. I understand they are available with choices of optics to mount now.

[MrMurphy]

Not a bullpup guy but if I had to pick one the Aug would be it. 30 years of combat proving. It gives you an SMG size package with a 20" barrel.

However, you lose the ability to shoot from the other shoulder in a hurry and unlike an M4 carbine, you can not adjust the length of pull (important with body armor and heavy clothing).


The original 1.5X scope with the "donut of death" was reputedly (by a highly experienced AUG user in government service, as well as an ADF infantryman former F88 (Australian AUG) and a current NZDF infantryman using the same thing) accurate and quick, with decent ranging capability.

The new A3 variant gives a better trigger, rails for attachments and the ability to add any optic you want.

It's an AUG with 10+ years of active recent combat experience's changes in it.

AUG magazines are extremely reliable, and the gun runs, as noted, on stuff that will choke many rifles. It's not without it's faults, but if you do go bullpup, the AUG is the longest-serving (widely) bullpup out there. The FAMAS came out around the same time, and has seen hard service in many places (a former Foreign Legionairre friend had little bad to say about it, other than it needing new magazines, but he still prefers the M4).

The new Tavor, in the standard-sized flavor, has appparently done very well. The Micro variant chokes faster and gets dirty quicker, but the regular infantry size seems to do well.

I'm reserving my judgement on it as of yet.

[Streetstar]

Nice guns --- newer versions are equipped with a rail so you can equip it with whatever optic you like (which i like)

And, while not cheap by any reasonable stretch of the imagination -- they are right in there in price with other high end black rifle offerings (around 2k last i checked -- and i checked recently -- i saw a guy wringing his out on some little duelling tree targets at 100 paces and it looked fun )
When the gent i was talking to about it filled me in on the accuracy he was getting out of it, (service rifle accuracy - 2-2.5 MOA with 193 ball ammo) - i lost a bit of enthusiasm as that wasnt any better than my 6920 Colt --- but darn it those things are neat

[jeepnik]

Well made and convertible for us southpaws. It's a .223/5.56 and I'm not crazy about the caliber, although I do have one. Can't say bullpups thrill me, then again I was looking very hard at the KSG.

I'd have the KSG, but Kel-Tec decided to raise the MSRP to about what the scalpers were asking.

[MrMurphy]

Having shot a KSG......yeah, they can keep them.

Not intuitive, not easy to reload, action is tougher than getting through a nun's chastity belt to cycle, and it's Keltec....not the highest quality.


The UTAS 15 looked a bit better in theory but the actual production models have had issues.

[Old Ironsights]

Having shot a KSG......yeah, they can keep them.

Not intuitive, not easy to reload, action is tougher than getting through a nun's chastity belt to cycle, and it's Keltec....not the highest quality.


The UTAS 15 looked a bit better in theory but the actual production models have had issues.

Ever played with the RFB?



The theory there seems interesting... AND it's a .308... and less than $2000...

[Griff]

The A3 also takes USGI mags... an enhancement if you already have a bunch of USGI mags.

[2ndovc]

I've wanted an AUG since I was a kid, reading and re-reading the Interarms catalogs over and over!
That one will be my next big purchase w/ the A3 lower that uses the AR magazines.

jb

[wecsoger]

Loved the AUG from introduction, but unfortunately I have just a 'regular' job, so the budget never worked out.

So saying, I'd buy in on the Tavor right now. More of the $$ than one is better than the other.

[Malamute]

Its my understanding that the Steyr mags are better than AR mags. They also come in 30 and 42 round capacities. They cost less than $20 at this point. I think I'd go with Steyr mags, even if I already had a pile of AR mags. Its what the guns reputation was built on.

[flyfisher66048]

AUGS are very nice rifles - piston driven reliability, great mags (10, 30 and 42). Two negatives from my perspective are the trigger and length of pull. The triggers are pretty bad compared to a nice AR. The LOP is a little too long for me when I'm wearing winter gear.

You can use the AUG from either shoulder, you just have to pull your head back a little. Not a problem with an Aimpoint red dot scope like I have on mine. For inside a building I think they are hard to beat due to their compactness. THe only thing that comes close is my AR pistol.

The cost seems to be going down on AUGs. I got mine with 23 mags, and Aimpoint Patrol red dot scope for $2300.

[wecsoger]

$2300 is a lot better than prices I've seen.

Not-so-spectacular triggers are inherent in the bullpup design. The trigger is /here/ and the action it's affecting is waaaaaay over /there/.

I'm still in love with the compactness and ease of carry. And you get the benefit of couple more inches of barrel in a super short length.

From a design standpoint, they're beautiful. No 'dead' space, everything fits into everything else. Short of the hollow in the pistol grip, there's no wasted space.

[7.62 Precision]

Its my understanding that the Steyr mags are better than AR mags. They also come in 30 and 42 round capacities. They cost less than $20 at this point. I think I'd go with Steyr mags, even if I already had a pile of AR mags. Its what the guns reputation was built on.

It is often the case that a weapon and magazine combination that were designed for each other are better than a conversion to use a magazine built for another weapon system.

People have long complained that Augs have proprietary mags.

Well, duh!

We hear the same about other weapons, "I love the vz.58, but I won't get one 'cause it uses proprietary magazines. If it used AK mags, I would get it." "The only thing stopping me from getting an Aug is that they didn't design it to use AR mags."

The AR uses proprietary mags - they were designed for the AR. The AK uses proprietary mags - they were designed for the AK. When a company designs a new military weapon, there is often no reason not to design a new magazine for it, and sometimes there are really compelling resins to do so. If the weapon is adopted by a military, enough magazines will be manufactured to fill the military needs. So rifles like Augs and vz.58s. and Galils and G3s and FALs and M14s and M16s and AKs were all designed with their own magazines.

Today a number of rifles are designed to use AR mags, but in some cases, these rifles are very picky about which mags will work and which will not.

Something to think about - no one complains if their SIG can't use a Glock magazine or the Glock can't use a 1911 magazine. Why are we so convinced that every rifle should use an AR or AK mag?

On the AUG, I would not be opposed to the version that uses AR mags, depending on the purpose - we don't all buy all of our guns to take into combat, and even if it was for serious purposes, if it proved itself with the magazines I'm using, I would be fine.

[Malamute]

$2300 is a lot better than prices I've seen.

.

$1600 with 5 magazines from CDNN,

http://www.cdnnsports.com/aug-a3-223-16 ... HjQQLl0wY1

[wecsoger]

Wow. Obviously I don't get out much.

(going to check the couch for spare change)

[Malamute]

Hurry! Its a sale price!

No idea how long they will be on sale. Where I saw that also showed that Buds gun shop had them for just a little more.

[MrMurphy]

The AUG magazines are indeed very high quality.


Most people got kind of spoiled with NATO magazine compatibility (even if that's only 1-way compatibility) with the STANAG magazine from M16's.

Depending on the design, even then, there's issues, which is why Magpul designed the E-Mag (which works well with the Hk416 and SA80).


If I was truly going to embrace a bullpup and it wasn't the Tavor (which, since the Israelis have a billion M16 mags, uses them)...the AUG would be first on the list. I still don't much care for the concept in a lot of cases, but it does give you a good rifle in a small package.

[Paladin]

Qualified with a AUG and used them a few times. One of the BEST 5.56 systems out there, even the semi ones. Not sure about the copies.

[jeepnik]

Qualified with a AUG and used them a few times. One of the BEST 5.56 systems out there, even the semi ones. Not sure about the copies.

Interesting photo. The only markings on the helo I can see is the tail number.

Sir, I have no idea what you do, but thanks for doing it.